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Chapter 74




EP.74 A Little Scratch. (3)
Whoosh—
The flames that had engulfed the tranquil forest gradually disappeared with the wind.
The flames that had once set the bushes and trees ablaze with a single gesture were now being absorbed into his body.
As the flames swirling around his body were absorbed into his flesh, he could feel his depleted inner energy being replenished to some extent.
“
Phew.”
After gathering his inner energy, he exhaled deeply, and the heat could be seen escaping from the corners of his mouth.
How much did I use? I think I went a bit overboard.
[You do know, right?]
Shin No-ya’s voice was slightly weary as he immediately spat out a remark.
[Do you understand how difficult it is to calm down a rampaging brute?]
“Was it very dangerous?”
[If you had pulled out even an inch more, I wouldn’t have been able to stop it.]
“It was a close call, then.”
Looking at the charred corpses around him, he could tell he had used quite a bit.
Due to the lack of control, there wasn’t a single intact corpse.
The forest, which had been filled with a refreshing scent, was now permeated with the smell of burnt flesh.
He carefully straightened his disheveled clothes and thought to himself.
‘Is this the first time?’
This was the first time he had killed someone since his regression.
It was a strange sensation.
He didn’t indulge in unnecessary emotional thoughts.
He had never entertained the idea of not killing anyone just because he had returned.
They were mere lackeys of the Black Night Palace, evil cult members, and those who had targeted his younger sister.
‘But why is my heart pounding so much?’
When he placed his hand on his chest, he could feel it trembling slightly.
Was it a disconnection between his mind and body?
‘It’s a pointless thought.’
In his past life, and in this one, it would be fine after a while.
He needed to get used to it sooner rather than later.
[What do you plan to do about the one who got away?]
Shin No-ya’s question made him look in the direction the leader had fled.
At first, he had intended to catch and kill him, but after seeing the shallow demonic aura in the man’s body, he changed his mind.
There was a need to torture him for information.
It was a faint and blurry demonic aura, but it was definitely there.
‘How do the Black Night Palace lackeys have demonic aura?’
Was there already a connection with the Demon Sect? It seemed unlikely.
The Demon Sect and Heavenly Demon wouldn’t appear for a few more years.
‘Was the demonic aura even correct?’
The aura was so faint and shallow that he couldn’t be sure.
That’s why it was frustrating to have let him escape.
“He was faster than I expected.”
He should have burned his legs instead of his arm.
His mind wasn’t working well after such a long time without actual combat.
He knew that even a small mistake could cost him his life, yet he made one.
He had become too soft, too complacent in peace.
“
When will I clean this up?”
Looking at the scattered corpses, his head ached.
If his cultivation was higher, he could have burned them to ashes.
Especially seeing the one with a broken neck in the corner made him furious.
He should have burned his insides first; a painless death was too kind for him.
For thinking such disgusting thoughts about a child barely taller than his waist.
And it was particularly galling that it was Gu Linghua.
[You treat her like dog droppings, yet you care for your sister.]
‘Not really.’
[Not really? Hide that ridiculous expression of yours.]
This was something he needed to discuss with Mei Huaxian directly.
The only concern was how she, as a Daoist before a martial artist, would react to killing.
Shin No-ya’s indifferent words seemed unusual in this context.
[You just killed someone who deserved it; there’s no need to debate it.]
A martial artist before a Daoist.
A Daoist before a martial artist.
Having experienced the Blood Demon War, Shin No-ya’s indifference was understandable.
How she would react in the relatively peaceful present was uncertain.
[You’ve always had many secrets. I was a bit surprised just now, though.]
Shin No-ya’s words made him smile bitterly, sensing a hint of consideration.
The appearance of the Black Night Palace and the demonic aura

“Why were they loitering around here?”
Their main target didn’t seem to be Gu Linghua.
Xin Xian and Ling Feng had mentioned searching for missing martial artists from Huashan before.
Could this be related?
‘I have a feeling I’m about to get involved in something troublesome.’
After dispelling the heat, he gathered the scattered corpses in one place.
It would be problematic if he carelessly moved them too far.
This was something he needed to discuss with Mei Huaxian when he returned.
After a rough cleanup, he headed towards the cottage.
When he saw the lackeys earlier, it seemed they couldn’t pass through the barrier, but he could pass through it easily.
There was no sense of obstruction, and he walked through smoothly as usual.
What was the difference?
Shin No-ya’s words naturally solved the mystery.
[The difference is whether or not you have Huashan Sect’s inner energy in your body.]
‘
Is it because I consumed the aura of the spirit beast?’
[That seems to be the case.]
Could a barrier, not a formation, have such a function?
Suddenly, Mei Huaxian’s authority, which had plummeted, seemed to rise again.
As he approached the cottage, a delicious aroma wafted to his nose.
They were probably preparing a meal.
Approaching the cottage, he saw Gu Linghua moving around outside.
“What are you doing?”
At his abrupt question, Gu Linghua turned to look at him.
Her expression immediately soured.
“What are you doing here again?”
“The Sect Leader asked me to bring something.”
“Why you specifically?”
“Why me specifically.”
Gu Linghua seemed surprised that he was running errands for the Sect Leader.
Yeah, I’m surprised too.
To be summoned for a single pastry.
Zhuge Xue was busy slicing something in the back.
When their eyes met, he nodded slightly, probably as a greeting.
“
What are you doing?”
“Can’t you see? I’m cooking.”
“Is he cooking?”
The way he was thinly slicing an onion was far from ordinary.
“
He’s better at it than I thought.”
Saying this, Gu Linghua seemed to be hurt in some way.
Why is she reacting like that?
“Where is the Divine Doctor?”
“He’s inside
 examining the teacher.”
“I see.”
As he was about to enter the cottage, Gu Linghua suddenly grabbed his sleeve tightly.
“What’s wrong?”
“O
 Why is your hand like that?”
Hand?
Not understanding, he looked and saw a thin cut on the back of his hand.
He thought he had mostly avoided it, but maybe it grazed him?
He thought it was nothing.
Looking at Gu Linghua’s face, he thought:
If I hadn’t shown up, what would have happened?
Probably nothing serious.
They seemed unable to break the barrier.
He just didn’t like it.
Out of a narrow-minded and corrupt nature, he burned them to death.
It was for the best.
Pulling his sleeve from Gu Linghua’s grip, he said:
“It’s just a scratch.”
Gu Linghua looked doubtful but had no reason to press further.
“Don’t worry, just do what you were doing.”
“Who said I was worried
!”
Ignoring her outburst, he knocked on the cottage door.
Knock knock.
-Who is it?
The Divine Doctor’s distinctive dry voice came from inside.
“This is Gouyang Qian from last time.”
-Oh
 Come in.
The door opened with a short exclamation.
The Divine Doctor was dressed as he was last time.
Seeing him, the Divine Doctor’s expression turned sour, not welcoming.
“What is it?”
“Mei Huaxian asked me to deliver this.”
Taking out the letter Mei Huaxian had given him, the Divine Doctor’s expression twisted even more.
It was as if he was looking at boiling water.

Thinking about it, maybe he should have come himself instead of being afraid to see this?
‘
It’s possible.’
Unable to vent his anger on him, the Divine Doctor clicked his tongue and put the letter in his sleeve.
“Taoist Dog, he will surely fall into hell.”
“
”
Calling the Sect Leader of Daoism a dog and sending him to hell

Anyway, having delivered the letter, he turned to leave.
“Where are you going?”
“Excuse me?”
Surprisingly, the Divine Doctor stopped him.
With a face that should have been chased away, why was he being stopped?
“Are you just going to leave with your hand like that?”
The Divine Doctor’s words reminded him of the injury Gu Linghua had mentioned.
Was this why he was stopped?
“
No, it’s just a graze
”
“Graze my ass, are you going to lie to a doctor?”
“No, really, it’s a minor injury that will heal with some saliva.”
“There’s no madman who licks their wounds! That’s why martial artists are all the same, driving me crazy
.”
“Wait, wait
!”
“Don’t make an old man use his strength. Come with me now.”
Unable to use force for fear of breaking his arm, he was dragged into the cottage by the collar.
******************
In the room of the Black Night Palace’s Shaanxi branch leader.
Thud! Thud!
Peng Chong repeatedly hit his forehead on the ground, surrounded by pools of blood.
On the opposite side, Ya Xue sat in a chair, merely observing Peng Chong.
All five of the subordinates he had sent with him were dead, and Peng Chong had returned with his left arm almost useless.
Ya Xue asked Peng Chong:
“So, who was it?”
“
I don’t know
 I’ve never seen him before.”
“Never seen him? Oh, I see.”
Crack.
Crack!
“Gah!”
With Ya Xue’s words, the aura spreading in all directions made Peng Chong spit out blood, and the cave echoed with dust falling.
“You got beaten by someone you don’t even know and came back alone?”
“Sorry
 Sorry
.”
“Shit! Is that what you call speaking!?”
Ya Xue’s saber swung instantly, severing Peng Chong’s arm.
“Aaaaaah!”
“Fucking bastard, did you think I sent you and the kids together for that?”
“Guh
!”
“I thought you were the smartest among them, but this is disappointing, isn’t it?”
“
Sorry
 Branch Leader
.”
Spit!
Ya Xue spat next to Peng Chong.
The branch was already short on people, and most of those sent to search had died.
And to a nameless brat?
Peng Chong said the man used fire techniques.
Fire techniques weren’t common, and Ya Xue knew it took a lot of practice to breathe fire.
Where did such a monster come from?
Moreover, the fact that he immediately recognized the Black Night Palace was deeply troubling.
Ya Xue said to Peng Chong, who was trembling and holding his severed shoulder:
“Peng Chong.”
“Yes
.”
“Do you want to live?”
“
Yes
 Please, please give me one more chance, Branch Leader.”
“I deliberately cut your injured arm; it was a favor, wasn’t it?”
Peng Chong saw his severed arm lying far away.
Anger and fear welled up inside him, but all he could do was force a smile.
“Yes
! I am grateful for the Branch Leader’s boundless grace.”
“Good, good.”
Ya Xue patted Peng Chong’s cheek.
He wanted to cut his head off and hang it on the wall, but there was no one else in the branch who could think as clearly as Peng Chong.
He considered cutting his legs to make him only able to speak, but as a first-rate martial artist, he couldn’t do that carelessly.
“How many days will it take for our Peng Chong to bring back information?”
At Ya Xue’s words, Peng Chong shouted with a trembling voice:
“
No more than four days, I will bring back information on the man.”
“Four days
 Of course, that includes information on the Divine Doctor, right?”
“
Yes! I will bring back all the information.”
“Your enthusiasm is commendable. Let’s do our best, shall we?”
Standing up, Ya Xue went to the back and took something from a leather bag, throwing it to Peng Chong.
It was a small inner pill, about the size of a thumb.
“Just enough for four days.”
Seeing it, Peng Chong trembled.
All Black Night Palace martial artists, except those from the main palace, had the seal (錼) in their bodies.
If they didn’t take the medicine within the set period, the seal would burst, and their insides would melt, leading to death.
‘
Shit.’
Peng Chong clenched his teeth.
Now, he really had to bring back the information within four days.